Tough Decisions: Cases in Medical Ethics 2000

Life is full of difficult decisions that need to be made ethically and under time pressure. This book puts readers in the realistic position of experiencing the difficulties of making difficult medical decisions.... In the role of the decision-maker, the reader is helped to determine what happens in a case, as their decision often shapes the course of events and the patient's outcome. It provides a compelling picture of the pressures that influence clinical decision-making. The authors assume that the reader wants to do the right thing, but is faced with the problem of determining what will be right when information is necessarily incomplete and the future unknown. Ethical theory comes into play when others involved present different views about what is appropriate in a particular medical situation. The final two chapters discuss the main theories of medical ethics, but there are no answers at the end of the book. Instead, the book will introduce readers to some of the ethical principles and issues critical to the practice of medicine for patients and their families.